A Grain of Wheat
by Antoinette Veronica
Summary: This story describes the events that took place when Katou first woke up after he was resurrected by Uriel, Uriel asked Katou what would be his final decision


**A Grain of Wheat**

Katou woke up on a slab, groggy and confused, he surveyed his surroundings, which surprised him to the point that he screamed, hoping someone will come and explain what happened to him.

'I went to sleep and then who can tell me where am I? This is not my home! Why am I here?'

_What are you talking about? You have been here. It is only the chamber of Yggdrasil, are you too groggy from sleep?_

Katou heard telepathic speech in his mind and he turned to see a tall and graceful figure looking solicitously at him with stunning green eyes. It had long, flowing dark hair, a melancholic and hauntingly beautiful face, this vision was not figment of Katou's imagination, for Katou knew this face… they belonged to the being that he first saw when Setsuna rescued him from the torture chamber where he was forced to watch every scene from his wretched life. Although this being was not the one who actually wrenched Katou from that hell, he had helped Katou immensely in his journey of his afterlife by discussing with him about his future and he was there so silently and patiently listened to Katou patiently about his decision…the figure was no other than Archangel Uriel.

'Uri? You are Uri! I died again, I just melted away so how could I be here in your house and with a solid body? Tell me how can it be!' Katou fired away questions after questions.

Only Katou could say 'I died again' as casually as if it was 'I fell asleep again'. Uriel raised his elegant eyebrows to Katou.

_You are alive again just as you died again. A grain of wheat fell to the ground and died in the ground and bore more grains, you Katou, died like that grain of wheat and lived again._

Katou heard a chuckle in his mind before he could respond.

_I have never ever felt like laughing until you came, you were the first comedian I ever came across_. Uriel smiled thinking of what a fine comedian Katou made.

_You have a body like Doll, made of the fibres from Yggdrasil, your new body behaves exactly like a human body, but you can also say you are made of wood, too._

'Oi! You! I am not going to be like your Doll!' shouted Katou.

Uriel's poignantly beautiful face broke into an uncharacteristic smile.

_Of course I am not making a puppet out of you and your nose will not grow long, I am not making a Pinocchio out of you, you are always a real boy._

'Er...Why have you done this for me?' Katou actually wanted to thank Uriel, but words just failed him, obviously Katou wasn't used to 

_Katou, you touched me even more than Alex did, the strong will of yours, and I haven't seen a bond stronger than the bond you shared with the Messiah, your bond with the Messiah is so strong that you could lay your life down for him more than once. You told me your wish and I want to do all that I can to help you. I am not God. I cannot make the body you once had. So all I could is to make you a body the same way I made the Doll. It is not unlike Pinocchio and it is freakish, will you accept this way of living? Or shall I help you to rise into Heaven?_

Hearing Uriel's warm, gentle mind speech, in Katou's own mind, the events that happened after his death unfolded before Katou's eyes…

As he expired from his earthly life, Alexiel said 'the one who is waiting at the end of the tunnel to guide you is there.' Did she mean Uriel, this hermetic angel in the Underworld and not herself? Uriel, the wise Uriel, rich in wisdom and power was waiting to be his guardian in his afterlife? Not everyone can be resurrected by an Angel and live again! Did Katou not want a second chance to have a life?

Katou jumped up and answered Uriel's question by draping his arms around Uriel's shoulders.

'Yes! I want to continue to fight for Setsuna, I will accept what you did for me! Uri! I am not some wandering will o the wisp now, thanks to you! I am real! It does not matter if the body I have is of real flesh or not, it is the mind that matters. I found my soul! I feel real. You have made me a real boy! I will continue to live and fight for Setsuna!'

Uriel went stiff for a moment, because he was not used to being thanked this way with hugs and stuff, When Uriel was in Heaven, his height and fierce reputation made all angels maintained a distance from him. But Katou, a human hugged Uriel to give hearty thanks for Uriel's gesture!

And Uriel found himself returning the embrace, for Uriel was sure that, besides assisting the Messiah, this child was another new meaning of his life, this child needed him, and it is always nice to for someone to know that he is needed. From that moment, a bond formed between the human and the angel.

Yet, for all the love Uriel conceived in his heart for Katou, the embrace from these strong, lithe arms was slack, contrasted to the tight grip from Katou, Katou did not see that while he himself was ecstatic to the chance to living his life again, Uriel's rapture in seeing Katou's hearty response did not last for long, the melancholy returned to Uriel's face very quickly, for Uriel knew that Katou will be destined to bloodshed followed by a painful death, by his decision. Uriel clearly foresaw that there was going to be a day Katou will suffer and die to leave Uriel behind grieving, As a gesture to accept Katou's decision, his arms were placed loosely only to reassure him, ready to release him to his adventures.


End file.
